The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to the field of dental digital impressions and more particularly, to techniques, methods, systems and/or devices for the taking of digital impressions.
Certain dental procedures, for example in dental restoration and cosmetic dentistry, include full or partial arch treatment. Teeth restorations include, for example, crowns, inlays, implants, laminates, bridges, prosthesis and/or dentures, fitted to the dental arch.
Traditionally, preparation for dental restoration or other dental treatments commences with drilling and grinding of teeth before preparation of the restoration itself. Optionally, as part of preparation, the gingiva surrounding the tooth crown base is separated from the tooth by use of designated dental tools, and/or use of a cord in a “cord packing” procedure to expose the subgingival tooth portion to view. The separation procedure is potentially invasive and painful.
Optionally, the fully exposed tooth crown is measured using a traditional dental impression, and/or by taking a digital impression with an intra-oral scanner (IOS) to construct a three dimensional (3-D) model of the tooth, teeth or oral arch. The 3-D model is used for producing the required restorations (for example, crowns, inlays, implants, laminates, bridges, prosthesis and/or dentures). The production can be performed by a dental service provider, such as a dental lab; and/or in the dentist's clinic, using, for example, a chair-side milling machine and/or 3-D printer.